Kinsley - Humans

​Kinsley

Humans
self-released; 2026

By Jamie Funk
​

Kinsley’s Humans turns personal history into three loud, concentrated songs about the cost of growing older. Christopher Jones and Adam Staley address loss, betrayal, mental health, fatherhood, duty, and redemption without treating any of them as separate concerns. Each subject becomes part of the same attempt to understand how childhood friendships, private failures, and adult responsibilities shape a person over time. The music gives that inquiry physical force, surrounding autobiographical writing with distorted guitars, forceful drums, and vocals that become increasingly urgent.

The EP takes its title and track names from Carl Jung’s autobiography Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Kinsley does not attempt to translate Jung’s ideas into a formal psychological exercise. Instead, the book provides a loose framework for Jones and Staley to examine their own lives. The two have been making music together for 14 years, beginning when they met as elementary school students in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jones handles the compositions, lyrics, guitars, and lead vocals, while Staley contributes drums, auxiliary instrumentation, backing vocals, engineering, mixing, and mastering. Their long history is evident in the precision of the performances and the consistency of the production.

“Memories” begins quickly with thick distortion and a heavy attack that recalls Deafheaven. Jones initially sings in a restrained monotone, placing the words above a fuzzy and fairly direct rock arrangement. His delivery gradually opens into a wider dynamic range as the song grows louder. Staley’s drums are less predictable, occasionally disrupting the otherwise straightforward structure with accents that give the performance additional movement. The vocals ultimately carry the song, with Jones increasing the pressure until the final section reaches its most intense point.

“Dreams” continues with an equally heavy hard-rock foundation. The structure remains direct, and the guitars preserve the dense fuzz introduced on the opening track. Like “Memories,” the song builds its intensity gradually rather than relying on abrupt changes. “Reflections” introduces one of the EP’s most distinctive rhythmic choices. Its metronomic drums sounded like an organic/electronic to my ears, especially the kick, while the guitar adds melodic detail around the rigid pulse. Jones also delivers some of the record’s catchiest vocal lines here, closing the EP with another solid performance.

​The similar aesthetic between these songs is one of Humans’ greatest assets. Kinsley works within a limited instrumental palette, allowing the three tracks to function as related chapters rather than isolated statements. I tend to gravitate toward that level of cohesion. Humans is loud, distorted, and emotionally direct, with strong vocals guiding each escalation. Fans of post-hardcore and heavy alternative rock should appreciate its focused construction and autobiographical weight.

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